


change

by soundscape



Category: Witch's Heart (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 14:18:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14833880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soundscape/pseuds/soundscape
Summary: “I’ve been expecting you,” Wilardo said, as Sirius entered the building. “It’s that time of the month again, right? Here. I have your bouquet ready, just as you like it.”





	change

**Author's Note:**

> for sa :')

“I’ve been expecting you,” Wilardo said, as Sirius entered the building. “It’s that time of the month again, right? Here. I have your bouquet ready, just as you like it.”

“Perfect,” Sirius replied, taking the flowers into his hands. He gave it a quick check, and, satisfied, he set it on the counter, so he could fish out his wallet. “Price is the usual, yes? I’m a bit late, so I’d like to hurry this up.”

“You’re as snarky as ever.” Wilardo rang him up on the register. “Yeah, same as usual. You’re set to go.”

With a wistful smile, Sirius bid him adieu, and stepped out of the shop. Who would have guessed that, out of all the people in the world, the person who would regularly see him at his most vulnerable was the owner of a small flower store?

A familiar head of green passed by in his peripheral vision, entering the store as he exited. Ah, yes, it was that irrational, annoyingly upbeat customer again. He crossed paths with him often at this shop, and as such, they had become acquainted. 

However, Sirius never knew where that man, Ashe, was taking his flowers. He had always assumed they were for a significant other. Well, it was none of his business, anyway.

\--

“Here, Lady Dorothy,” he murmured, lying the bouquet on her gravestone. The main flower of the arrangement was a white tsubaki—in the language of flowers, meaning, _waiting._ “I made sure to include your favorites.”

He allowed for a long period of silence, as he stood there contemplating. When he really thought about it, his life had been nothing but misery since Lady Dorothy’s passing. He holed himself up in the mansion, keeping to his books. _That’s not any way to live,_ he thought. _I know it’s not, but I can’t help it. Nothing is the same anymore._

The same flash of green from earlier suddenly came into vision, drawing his attention, and Sirius squinted up ahead, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. Surely, they were not. Ashe was visiting the cemetery too?

… And, he seemed to be crying, clutching his own bouquet to his chest.

Everything clicked into place at once.

The reason that man was so upbeat wasn’t because he was genuinely happy, Sirius realized. He was merely hiding his pain. _Every time_ he met Ashe at that flower shop, he wasn’t buying flowers for his significant other, or anything superfluous like that. He was buying them for the same purpose Sirius was. _Every single time._ He thought back to how often they saw each other at that flower shop and winced.

It was strange how he had never seen him here. After so many repeat visits to the cemetery, he must have left before the other came.

Sirius glanced down to Lady Dorothy’s grave, and then looked back to Ashe. _Damn it all to hell,_ he thought.

He couldn’t leave without saying something.

\--

Wordlessly, Sirius walked up to Ashe. Something was bubbling inside of him, wanting to come out—he couldn’t put a name to the feeling. Frustration, perhaps. 

“Ashe.” He said simply.

Startled, Ashe turned to him quickly. His bouquet was already on the gravestone—Sirius had allowed him that much before coming over to pester him (he found it ironic how it was him doing the pestering, now).

“A-ah, Sirius! Sorry, I didn’t see you there…” Ashe wiped at his red eyes, putting on his usual, cheery smile. “Who knew we would meet each other here? What a coincidence!”

Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was god-awful at being gentle and kind—honestly, he was normally a very demanding person—but this situation required a certain kind of delicacy. He knew what he wanted to say. The question was, how to say it nicely?

“Yes, yes. Enough of that.” He opened his eyes, gazing at Ashe with a concerned frown. “Listen. I just wanted to say…” Sirius glanced to the gravestone Ashe was visiting, and then looked back up. “I’m sick of grieving all of the time. I do nothing but keep to myself. It’s maddening. I’m not living anymore.”

Ashe watched him quietly, his smile falling. “Yeah?”

“I think… both of our families would be happier… if we could be happy with ourselves. With the way things are now.” He exhaled shakily. Sirius knew he was projecting, but he wanted to get this out of his system. “I think you deserve to be happy. I think we both do. _Genuinely_ happy.”

“… Honestly…” Ashe wiped at his eyes again—and Sirius felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t meant to make him cry again. “I never expected to hear something like that from you. But, maybe you’re right.”

Ashe’s lips took on a softer smile as he gazed down at his family’s gravestone. Sirius sucked in another breath and held it. They stayed like that for a minute or so, silence filling the air.

“Hey. I don’t think we’ve had a proper introduction,” Ashe suddenly said. He stuck out his hand with a bright smile—one that radiated with a warmth his fake happy façade didn’t have. Sirius was blinded by it. “I’m Ashe Bradley. Do you want to grab dinner with me?”

With a smirk, Sirius extended his arm, and their hands met. “Sirius Gibson. I’d love to.”


End file.
